HP launches new Envy 14 laptop, Elite Folio 2-in1 tablet, and new… earbuds?

January 10, 2021

HP Envy 14: Creators wanted

HP ENVY 14 frnt left hero

Credit: HP

The HP Envy x360 from 2020 was one of last year’s most well-reviewed laptops. With the Envy x360, you got the style and design aesthetic of the high-end Spectre series but at a much lower price.

At $999, the HP Envy 14 is quite expensive. In fact, that price really blurs the line between the mid-range Envy family and the high-end Spectre series. Regardless, this seems like a terrific machine if you can afford it.




What made the price go up? Inside, the HP Envy 14 houses an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650Ti graphics card and an 11th-gen Intel Core i5 chip. This makes it far more powerful than most other Envy models. Of course, if you’re not a gamer or a creator, that hardware is going to be overkill for your needs. HP hopes you are a creator, though, because that’s what its marketing team seems to be gunning for. The laptop’s sleek, minimalist design is quite trendy and the power of that graphics card will make editing video on-the-go a breeze. This will be a terrific laptop — if you can afford it. Elsewhere on the spec sheet, you’ll get 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, a 720p integrated webcam, and a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS LCD touch display. That display is 14-inches diagonal with an 87% screen-to-body ratio. In a welcome surprise, the HP Envy 14 also works with Wi-Fi 6. In general, this seems like a powerful laptop at a great price. It will only be disappointing for those who were excited for the more value-oriented direction in which the Envy x360 was going. HP Elite Folio: Fighting the Surface with 5G Credit: HP In 2019, the Spectre Folio was a welcome deviation from the norm. While a pretty standard 2-in-1 tablet at its core, the fact that it was wrapped in leather made it truly stand out from the crowd. It certainly grabbed the attention of Microsoft Surface fans, whom the device was most obviously trying to woo. In 2021, we now have the HP Elite Folio. Like its predecessor, the screen is on a dual-hinge that allows you to work in a traditional clamshell-style and then quickly switch to a tablet-style experience.
However, that’s pretty much where the similarities end. There’s no leather on the Elite Folio. Instead, HP opted for being environmentally conscious by using 90% recycled magnesium by weight and even some ocean-bound plastics inside. The biggest difference, though, is that the HP Elite Folio has a second-gen Qualcomm Snapdragon 8cx 5G chipset. The previous Spectre Folio had the usual Intel Core processor. This makes the Elite Folio a wildly different product, considering how young Windows on Arm is at the moment. Still, the Elite Folio seems like a terrific machine for those folks who are cool with jumping into untested waters. You can get up 16GB of RAM, up to 512GB of internal SSD storage, and a 3:2, 1,920 x 1,280 display covered in Gorilla Glass 5. And, since it has that mobile processor, you’ll be able to optionally access 5G cellular networks — no hotspot needed. HP hasn’t disclosed how much the Elite Folio will cost yet, but you can expect a four-digit price tag at the minimum. HP Elite Wireless Earbuds Credit: HP Finally, we have probably the most unexpected product in HP’s CES 2021 lineup. While HP has released headphone products before, this is the first pair of true wireless earbuds from the company. It calls them the HP Elite Wireless Earbuds. HP’s claims these buds will be “the most advanced earbuds for collaboration” as compared to competitor’s products. The basis of that claim is that these earbuds offer customizable settings for noise cancelation and audio tuning. They also offer automatic presets for sound situations, such as being at the office, at home, or at the gym. HP also says that these earbuds will seamlessly switch between various listening modes. For example, you can quickly jump from using them with your phone to using them with your PC. This is enabled by the “simple” app available for Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac. HP didn’t divulge pricing for the Elite Wireless Earbuds. They will come bundled up with another laptop product it announced at CES: the HP Elite Dragonfly Max. HP Envy 14, Elite Folio, and earbuds: Availability If you want to get your hands on these products, here’s when they’ll be available: Envy 14 laptop — February, 2021 Elite Folio tablet — February, 2021 Elite Wireless Earbuds — April, 2021 Of the three devices listed here, only the HP Envy 14 has a price tag, which is $999. To see all the products HP announced at CES, head here.